What are the benefits of the new and changed features in 7:

What are the benefits of the new and changed features?

A brief overview of the major new features and capabilities for Windows Search, Browse, and Organization in Windows 7 is provided in the following table.

 

Feature	New in Windows 7
Improvements in the performance and user interface of Windows Explorer	The navigation is better organized and more intuitive, everyday tasks are easier to access, and there are numerous improvements in the presentation of end user content.
The introduction of libraries to help with organization	Libraries make it quicker and easier to find files. Built on the existing My Documents experience, libraries work like folders do but have additional functionality. In addition to browsing files by using the hierarchical folder structure, you can also browse metadata such as date, type, author, and tags. Users can include files from multiple storage locations in their libraries without having to move or copy the files from original storage locations.
Improvements in the search experience	The search experience is integrated into everyday tasks through Windows Explorer, the Start menu, and the introduction of new libraries. Search results take relevance into account, making it faster to find what you are looking for. Other improvements to the experience include the introduction of highlighted matches in the searched document, a search builder to construct advanced queries, and arrangement views. Arrangement views allow you to pivot search results, list the most recent searches, and provide broader Start menu scope including Control Panel tasks.
The introduction of federated search and search connectors	Windows 7 enables searching for content on remote indices. Integrating federated search into Windows gives users the benefits of using familiar tools and workflows to search remote data. This enhanced integration provides the added benefit of highlighting matches within the searched document. Windows 7 enables federated search via the public OpenSearch standard. Other improvements are the consistent UI for remote search results within Windows Explorer and the ability to drag and drop files listed in the search results between different locations.
Indexing of uncached (classic online) e-mail	Before users can search for e-mail, the Windows indexing service must index the e-mail store, which involves collecting the properties and content of e-mail items within the store. This initial indexing is later followed by smaller incremental indexing (as e-mail arrives, is read, and deleted, and so on) to keep the index current. Windows 7 minimizes the impact on the server running Exchange Server by reducing the number of remote procedure calls (RPC) required to index e-mail messages and attachments. Because e-mail messages are indexed in native formats (HTML, RTF, and text) there is no load on the server to convert mail types. Windows indexes public folders only when they are cached locally.
Remote query	Windows 7 extends the ability to search across remote desktops. Windows 7 or Windows Search 4.0 (available on Windows Vista and Windows XP) enables users to query remote computers running on supported operating systems; Windows Vista allows users to search remote computers only if they are running Windows Vista.
Support for indexing encrypted files	Windows 7 fully supports indexing encrypted files on local file systems, allowing users to index and search the properties and contents of encrypted files. Users can manually configure Windows to include encrypted files in indexing, or administrators can configure this by using Group Policy.
Support for indexing digitally signed e-mail	Windows 7 allows users to search all content in digitally signed e-mail messages. This includes the message body and any attachments. A computer that is running Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Windows Search 4.0 functions as follows: Users can search all digitally signed e-mail messages that they have sent. This search includes all message content. Users can search all digitally signed e-mail messages that they have received. However, these searches are limited to certain properties, such as subject, sender, or recipients. Users cannot search the message body or attachment contents.